Small Town Girls Don't Marry Their Back-Ups - Carol Moncado Page 0,55

Madi understood why he hadn’t told her sooner, yet she felt hurt and betrayed because he hadn’t. It didn’t make sense, it wasn’t rational, but that’s how she felt.

But she also wanted to go after him.

To wrap her arms around him and hold him. To remind him that they were all sinners saved by grace. She’d made her own mistakes, though not the same ones he had. Somewhere in the New Testament - she couldn’t remember where - it said that all you had to do to be forgiven is confess your sin. She’d done that. Madi couldn’t imagine Wyatt hadn’t.

Therefore, God had forgiven him.

Could Madi’s forgiveness be required? Was this a sin, a transgression, whatever the word, against her?

She struggled with the right answer and couldn’t come up with one. How would she feel if he’d done something else? If his transgression had been cheating on his girlfriend, and he was truly remorseful and promised it would never happen again. If he’d been faithful in every opportunity since, would she require an apology? Would her forgiveness be necessary?

Madi felt sure she knew the answer then, but couldn’t decide if this situation was different.

She did know she didn’t want him to sleep somewhere else. As she went inside to slip under the covers, Madi sent him a text.

He was her husband. Regardless of the problems they might have, he belonged with her.

When the text came in, Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief.

He found Madi already in bed, cocooned in the covers and facing away from his side, causing the weight to return, though not quite as heavy as before.

He slid into the other side of the bed, on top of the sheet so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Just as he’d done almost every night since their wedding.

And just as he’d done almost every morning since the wedding, he woke before Madi and went to find a place to work out. The information packet said there was a very small gym on the lowest deck almost at the very back. It took him a few minutes to figure out where he was going, but he eventually found it.

The gym consisted of a treadmill, an elliptical, a recumbent bike, and a few free weights. It was enough for what he needed.

After a couple of miles on the treadmill, he switched to free weights. Did this place have a sauna? That would be amazing, but he didn’t think it did.

“I didn’t expect to find anyone down here.” A man about Wyatt’s age walked out of the stair well. “You must be one of the other guests Nicklaus told me about.” He extended a hand. “I’m Robert.”

Wyatt gave his hand a firm shake. “Wyatt. You must be half of the couple that showed up really late last night.”

Robert chuckled. “That’s us. We’d planned to leave much earlier in the day, but I had some unavoidable business come up.”

“What do you do?” Wyatt went back to his reps.

“I’m a member of the Mevendian Parliament. We had a bill that was supposed to pass a couple of days ago, but didn’t. Then it was supposed to be put off until the end of next week, but instead the final debate and voting ended up being yesterday.” Robert took the sanitizer spray and wiped down the treadmill, something Wyatt hadn’t planned to do until he’d finished working out. “How about you?”

“I’m a baseball player in the States,” he grunted out as he did two more reps then set it down. “It’s the off-season, but that doesn’t mean I can slack off.”

“Never truly off, are you?” Robert pressed a few buttons to set up the workout he wanted to do.

“Not really. Workouts are light to nonexistent the first couple of weeks after the season ends, then again around Christmas, but you can’t just let yourself go either. Can’t pig out as much as you might like.” Which reminded him that he needed a shower and a semi-healthy breakfast. He wiped his face with a towel. “I’ll see you later?”

Robert started with a brisk walk. “Definitely.”

Wyatt worked his way back up to the cabin he shared with Madi. It didn’t surprise him that she was awake, and appeared to be in ‘her’ bathroom. He took a quick shower and dressed just as fast, but she was already gone.

So much for talking to her again before the day started.

He found his way to the area where they’d eaten dinner the night before. A breakfast buffet waited for them. Madi and